A Promise To Keep

by Christina Tetreault

  She dismissed his statement with a wave of her hand. “Ella’s exaggerating. She tends to do that. But speaking of plates, are you hungry? I didn’t eat breakfast. I’ll make us some sandwiches.”

  Kelsey didn’t wait for an answer. She stood and started walking away. Once again he got a chance to look at her without her any the wiser. This afternoon she had on black leggings. In his opinion, leggings were both the greatest and worst piece of clothing ever invented, depending on the woman wearing them. Kelsey fell into the category of women who should wear them all the time. She’d paired them with a North Salem Middle School T-shirt, the word teacher printed across the back and a large tiger on the front, and her feet were bare.

  “Ham or turkey?” she called as she passed through the doorway into the kitchen.

  On the positive side, she hadn’t asked him to leave. Unfortunately, she’d become fantastic at changing the subject and evading his questions.

  “How ’bout both.” He stopped in the doorway and wished he’d waited a moment longer to come in. Kelsey was reaching up for plates in the cupboard, her T-shirt riding up in the process, exposing her back and stomach. Instantly his brain conjured up a memory he kept buried deep, and he got hard.

  It’d been the summer before his senior year at LSU. He'd gone over to help Ian work on his car and, as often happened, Mrs. Bancroft invited him for dinner. It’d been a scorcher, and before eating, he and Ian decided to go for a swim to cool off. He'd heard the girls laughing in the backyard while they worked in the garage, but he hadn't thought much about it. After all, it was only Kelsey, Ian’s baby sister, and her friends. They were just a bunch of silly high school girls. Girls he’d seen countless times at Ian’s house. So after changing, he went into the backyard prepared to jump in the pool and cool off. Instead he got the shock of a lifetime.

  Prior to that afternoon, he’d never seen Kelsey in anything but a modest tankini-style swimsuit. However, there had been nothing modest about the emerald-colored bikini she wore then. Like some preteen who didn’t even shave yet, he’d stood gaping when she walked past him toward the diving board. In an instant, every cell in his twenty-one-year-old body had gone on high alert. Only a strategically placed towel had saved him from showing the world and Kelsey’s older brother the effect she had on him.

  Doing anything about it had been impossible. One, she was his best friend’s little sister. Someone he’d known almost his entire life. Two, she’d only been sixteen years old. Even the fact that she would turn seventeen in another month hadn’t mattered. While he might have been able to get over the first obstacle, a twenty-one-year-old had no business with a girl still in high school.

  The remainder of the summer, he’d stayed away from Ian’s house and pool as much as possible. A few months later, he and Ian went back to school in Louisiana, and he met Crystal. He’d dated her for most of his senior year.

  She’s not sixteen anymore. The image of her in the clingy black cocktail dress at Sean’s wedding taunted him. Don’t I know it. He clenched his fingers until pain shot up his forearm. “Need me to get something down?” Drew stepped up behind her, the mild scent of lavender tickling his nose. He’d noticed it the night they danced too. Before he reached out and touched the bare skin taunting him, he shoved his hands in his pockets.

  “I got it.” Her fingers closed around a yellow bowl. “I don’t know why I always put it up there. I should keep it somewhere else.” She set it down next to the plates, and her shirt fell back into place. “I’m out of chips, so I’ll make a salad to go with the sandwiches.”

  Kelsey moved away, and his eyes followed her. She’d said Jessie tried to get her and Dakota together. The dude must be either stupid or blind to just be friends with Kelsey.

  “Make yourself a spot.” She gestured toward the table before opening the refrigerator door.

  A notebook, a laptop, and several textbooks filled much of the kitchen table. Drew stacked up the science books. When he picked up the notebook, a small business card dropped from between the pages. He recognized the logo in the corner as well as the name. He’d attended two bachelor parties at the Purple Cat. There was no reason for Kelsey to have a business card or anything else from the establishment.

  Drew dropped the card on the counter near Kelsey. “What the hell is this?”

  She opened a bag of fresh spinach and glanced quickly at the card. “A business card.”

  “For a strip club.”

  “Actually, I believe they refer to it as a gentleman’s club.” She added cherry tomatoes to the bowl of spinach. “Since you recognize the name, I’m guessing you’ve been.”

  He wasn’t going to argue semantics. “Whatever.” He pointed at the card. “Why do you have it?”

  “Delilah starts working there in a couple weeks. She asked Cora and me to join her. Her cousin—”

  Drew grabbed her shoulders and forced her to face him. “No friggin’ way. You’re not working at a strip club.”

  She blinked once. “But it’s okay for you to visit one?”

  He clenched his teeth as the images of her performing a striptease flashed through his head. “Kelsey—”

  “Never mind, Drew. I can do whatever I want. Last time I checked, you were not my husband, my father, or my brother, so I don’t require your approval. I can make my own decisions.”

  The erection pressing against his zipper was doing an excellent job of reminding him he wasn’t any of the above. Drew parted his lips, ready to argue his point.

  “And do not say I’m like a sister to you, because I’m not your sister.”

  “Don’t I know it,” he muttered to himself.

  “I really hate when you say I’m like a sister to you.” Kelsey paused. “Wait, what did you say?”

  She’d never let on she hated it. “I know you’re not my sister, Kelsey. But you don’t belong at a place like the Purple Cat. You belong in a laboratory doing research. Please stay away from the club. Or any place like it.”

  Kelsey flipped the card over, revealing a few phone numbers on the back. “I never planned on calling Delilah’s cousin. The card was in my apron at work, so I used it to write down some real estate agents’ phone numbers.” She pulled away and went back to making the salad. “Throw the card away if it makes you feel better. I already set up appointments with all the agents. I don’t need it.”

  Even though he believed her, Drew ripped the card into several pieces and tossed them out. With images of her doing a striptease still bouncing around his head, he considered her comment about real estate agents. “What are you putting on the market?” He already knew the answer, but in case they hadn’t told her, he didn’t want Kelsey to know he’d questioned her friends.

  “The garage.” The annoyance that filled her voice when they’d discussed the business card was gone. Instead he heard disappointment.

  “The first appointment is Monday.” She set down the sandwiches and went back for the salad. “Sit. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

  He’d avoided the tough questions long enough. “Out with it. Tell me what’s going on. You work two jobs. You’re not finishing your degree. And now you’re selling the business. You wouldn’t do it unless you had no other choice. Do you need money? Tell me and I’ll help. I want to help.” I need to help.

  Rather than answer, she sat down and bit into her sandwich before adding salad to her plate. “Please sit down, Drew.” She poured a generous helping of ranch dressing over her salad. “I’m selling because it’s the right thing to do.”

  Drew pulled out a chair. He didn’t plan on leaving today until he got the whole story. He’d sleep there if he had to. “There’s got to be more to your decision.” He considered his next move. Getting her to open up to him willingly appeared impossible. He needed a more creative way to get the information he wanted. “Do you have a deck of cards?”

  With a mouth full of salad, she could only nod.

  “Good. How about a game of poker? I win, you tell me exactly w
hat’s going on, starting with why you’re working two jobs and now selling the garage. If you win, I’ll paint the entire house for you, not just the kitchen and living room.”

  “You can’t play poker with only two people.” She stabbed a tomato on her plate. “Well you can, but it’s boring.”

  She had a point, but he wasn’t ready to give up on his idea. “It doesn’t have to be poker. Any card game will do.” Kelsey had a competitive streak that rivaled his own. He knew how to get her to agree. “Unless you’re afraid of losing to me.”

  Fire ignited in her eyes. She didn’t like his last sentence.

  “Fine, I’ll play, but I want more than the house painted if I win. I also want you to stop calling me every month just to check up on me.”

  She thought she had him. Kelsey believed she’d found a way to get him to back off. She couldn’t have been more wrong. “Okay, but then I want something else too.”

  The memory of holding her as they danced mixed with the image of how she’d looked at Sean’s reception. “Not only do I get my answers, but we go out Friday night. Or whatever night works for you.”

  Kelsey took another bite of her sandwich. While she mulled over his offer, he dove into his lunch. He hadn’t been hungry before, but now with food in front of him, his stomach rumbled.

  “You’ve got yourself a deal. What do you want to play?”

  He raised his sandwich higher, hoping it covered his smile. “We could play blackjack, unless you’ve got another suggestion.” Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of many card games designed for two players.

  She shook her head. “I’ve got a better idea. How about rummy?”

  Her smile made him want to squirm in his seat. She expected to beat the pants off him. “You’re on. It’s been awhile, but I think I remember how to play.”

  He’d played the game so many times against his nana, he suspected he could play drunk and half asleep and still have a decent chance of winning. However, it never hurt to stroke your opponent’s overconfidence in their ability.

  Kelsey got a deck of cards. “First player to earn 150 points wins?” She opened the cards and started to shuffle the deck.

  Playing until one of them reached 150 would make the game much faster and hopefully get him the answers he wanted sooner. Requiring a higher score would allow him to stick around longer. Today he wasn’t in a hurry to leave Kelsey. “Let’s say winner is the first to get 250 points.”

  “You’re on.” She held the cards toward him. “Pick a card and let’s see who deals first.”

  Chapter Five

  Kelsey checked her cards and then the notebook while Drew considered his next play. Down by fifteen points. Phooey.

  She’d been certain she could beat him today, especially after the first two hands. Even when he tied the game, she still believed she had it in the bag. After all, she played this game all the time on her cell phone. When she did, she beat both online opponents and the computer. If she could do that on a regular basis, she could beat Drew. Once she did, the house would get painted, and even better, Drew would finally stop calling every single month.

  Across from her, Drew put down the two of hearts. His long, tanned fingers flipped over the three of hearts next and lined it up with the first card. Her eyes followed each movement. When he’d grabbed her shoulders earlier, the very same fingers had scorched her skin and switched on every female hormone in her body. She’d wanted to lean into him, throw her arms around his shoulders, and use her body to make sure he never thought of her like a little sister again.

  Of course she hadn’t done any of the above because it had dawned on her that if Drew knew what type of place the Purple Cat was, he’d been there himself. The idea of him sitting at the club watching nameless women dance had her stomach coiling into a knot.

  Drew turned over the last card he held, a six of hearts, and added it to the first four cards he’d put down. Kelsey snapped her eyes away from his fingers and to her cards.

  “Well?” he asked.

  Oh, man. How did that happen? She didn’t even have to count all her cards to know he’d won. She held the queen of spades and the nine of clubs in her hand. Those two cards alone gave Drew the points he needed. The other three she held were only icing on the cake. Kelsey put her cards down faceup. “Looks like you won.” Maybe she should’ve suggested they play chess instead. Her dad was the only person who’d ever been able to beat her at it.

  “When’s your next night off?” Drew asked.

  “Friday, remember.” She’d already told him. “Unfortunately, I have the whole weekend off.” Friday and Saturday nights were two of the busiest nights at the restaurant. Where would she be on both? Home. Darn it.

  Drew smiled. For a moment, her anger at Lou for cutting her hours disappeared, and desire took its place.

  “Excellent. Before I leave, we can decide on a time for Friday night.” His smile dimmed, and she knew what was coming next. “It’s time to come clean.”

  Kelsey gathered up the cards and put them back in the box. She’d agreed to the terms. She couldn’t back out of them. Angry with not only Drew for suggesting the stupid game but also herself for agreeing to it, she shoved her chair back and walked away.

  “C’mon, Kelsey, we had an agreement.”

  She dropped the cards back in the junk drawer and slammed it shut. “I know.” She headed toward the living room. If she had to share, she at least wanted to be comfortable while she did it.

  “Then where are you going?”

  She heard his chair scrape against the floor behind her. “The other room. It’s more comfortable.” She didn’t check to see if he followed. She didn’t have to. She could sense him behind her.

  Kelsey took her favorite spot on the sofa and waited for Drew to sit in her dad’s recliner again. Instead, he sat next to her, his thigh rubbing against hers. Make this a little harder, why don’t you.

  “Do you remember when my parents expanded Bancroft Automotive?” The sooner she started, the sooner she’d be done, and he’d leave.

  “It was a year or two before Ian got sick.”

  “When they did, they took out a business loan. By then Mom and Dad had added Ian’s and my names to the business. So when they got the loan, we all cosigned it. None of us thought it was a big deal. Small businesses take out loans all the time for different reasons.”

  “Is the garage not doing well? Is that why you’re selling?”

  If he interrupted, they’d be here all night. “It’s doing fine. Please let me explain without interrupting. It’ll be quicker.”

  Drew nodded.

  “When Ian got sick, his medical bills mounted. I’d started teaching, and cosigned the home equity loan Mom and Dad took out to pay them. With three incomes, it was easy to cover the monthly loan payments, especially since I was living at home again.” Tears stung her eyes, and she fought to hold them back. She didn’t want to cry in front of Drew.

  Kelsey cleared her throat, hoping to get rid of the giant lump there. “When Mom and Dad died, I was left with the loans. And since I’m not enrolled in classes, my student loans went into repayment too.”

  A tear rolled down her cheek, and she hoped he didn’t notice. “I work at Masterson’s and do some tutoring in the summer to supplement what I make as a teacher. Whatever I don’t use for bills goes into savings, so I can hopefully get back to school before I turn eighty.” She sniffed as another tear leaked from the corner of her eye. “Months ago, Cat and Ella suggested I sell the garage or the house. I ignored them until Lou cut my hours at the restaurant. I’m hoping if I sell, I’ll get enough to pay off the business loan and the home equity loan too. If I don’t have enough to cover both, I might put the house on the market as well. It’s not what I want, but it’s the best option I have.”

  Several more tears slipped down her cheeks. It’d been well over two years since her parents’ death, and over three since Ian passed away. Talking or thinking about them still had the ability to turn o
n her waterworks.

  Before she could wipe away the tears, Drew’s fingers moved across her cheek. “You should’ve told me, Kelsey.”

  “Why? It’s not your problem. And I have it under control. I’ll meet with the real estate agents this week and get things rolling. Fingers crossed, I’ll be enrolled for the fall semester.”

  Drew touched her jaw. “Let me help you. Keep Bancroft Auto. I’ll take care of the home equity loan. You can pay me back. We can set up some type of monthly payment plan if it makes you feel better. It’ll be an amount you can swing while you’re in school.”

  “When did you add ‘savings and loan’ to your name?” It was a tempting offer but not one she could accept. Since sitting down, she’d kept her eyes straight ahead, focused on the wall. Now she faced him. “Drew, I’ve got this. Don’t worry about it.”

  He leaned closer and she saw the gold and black flecks in his eyes. She’d known him a long time, and she’d never noticed them before now.

  “Please, Kels,” he said, using the nickname only her family and he had ever used.

  She glanced down at his lips. They were so close to hers. She’d spent countless nights dreaming of them against hers. All she had to do was move a little and she could fulfill one of her teenage fantasies. Not only that, if she suddenly kissed him, it’d shock the hell out of him. He’d fly out of the house and not bother her again.

  “Let me—”

  Before she changed her mind or lost her nerve, she closed the space between them and covered his lips with hers.

  Shock hit him first and he froze. Kelsey was kissing him, her soft lips tentatively moving against his. Pent-up lust rolled over him next. He’d wanted to kiss her since Sean’s wedding. Now, finally, months later, he had what he wanted.

  Before she changed her mind or pulled away, he cradled her head in his palm and wrapped his right arm around her waist. Drew moved his lips against hers, learning all he could about them before tugging on her bottom lip, encouraging her to open for him. Kelsey responded immediately. Parting her lips, she gave him access, and he didn’t hesitate. Her tongue touched his and sent blinding desire through his veins. He let the hand on her waist slip under her T-shirt. In the kitchen, he’d guessed the skin he saw was soft. He’d been right. Slowly he moved his hand up along her spine. When he reached her bra, he slid his hand around and cupped her breast. Her nipple pressed against his palm, and he teased it with his fingers through the lace. Kelsey moaned, and he dipped his fingers inside to touch her.